By Michelle Ann Joseph- In a recent article reflecting on the state of Georgetown, I was struck by some of the comments it received. Three comments caught my attention, one lady agreed that Georgetown is no longer the Garden City, appalled at its current state. One the contrary, another person, I would presume being a male, from his name, said that “ The British maintained a clean city up to 1966, when Guyana gained independence from the British – but Burnham dumped garbage immediately after.” Hence, the current state of Georgetown.
The other person’s comment stated that the Georgetownites got the City how it is, an undertone, suggesting it is a People’s National Congress (PNC) problem, since it’s their stronghold.
Apparently, President Linden Fobes Sampson Burnham is blamed at every juncture for the ills of this society. He has been dead for almost four decades. There is an entire generation who was not even born when he transitioned. We, as a people, need to stop the blame game. Inasmuch as we have free speech, what can we achieve by spewing hate and vitriol?
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Unfortunately, today many opinions are shaped by race and political affiliations. In such a situation where are the critical thinkers? Are we truly making sense when we tear down someone’s opinion or writing simply because it doesn’t align with our racial or political interests? This behaviour reinforces the idea that unity in Guyana will remain elusive. Why not simply give credit where it is due on issues that are clearly factual?
The division in Guyana is obvious, whether racial or political. Where is the middle ground? We must confront the disunity and negativity that plague our nation. Just because we don’t look alike or support the same political party doesn’t mean we should forgo bipartisan agreement and racial cohesion.
The truth is indisputable. In its simplest form, it stands alone. Recently, the announcement of the removal of tuition fees at the University of Guyana sparked debate, with some discrediting and others supporting Burnham’s contributions to free education from nursery to university.
This brings us to the issue of giving credit where it’s due. Our founding fathers—whether Burnham, Cheddie Jagan, Eusi Kwayana, Peter D’Aguiar or the everyday teacher and farmer—deserve recognition for their contributions. Political affiliations or racial biases should not erase our history or distort the facts. Truth cannot be undone, and what is wrong can always be made right—by providing accurate information to the public instead of misusing it for political or racial agendas.
A key element missing in our society is reliable information. The misinformation spread through social media, television, and print must be addressed. People often say, “If it’s News Source, it has to be true,” while dismissing other sources as questionable. If we have tabloids in Guyana, let’s label them as such to distinguish fact from fiction.
We can and must do better than being a divided nation. There are men, women, and children who are hungry, homeless, mentally ill, addicted to drugs, downtrodden, and abused in countless ways. Yet, instead of focusing on these pressing issues, we remain split by ego, class, race, and political division.
As a nation, we have bigger fish to fry. Opposition-Government disagreement is normal and even healthy in a regular democracy (and ting nah regular in Guyana). What’s not normal is the extreme rancour and divisiveness it creates. The continuous arguments, along with racial divisions and disparities between the “haves” and the “have-nots,” are undermining our progress. We must remember that the most valuable resource in any country is its people—a fact that’s hard to dispute.
For those who are Christians and believe in the Bible, Psalm 24:1 reminds us: “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” We should not think for one moment that Guyana’s newfound oil wealth is meant for only a select few. Equity and transparency must be the guiding principles for any resources extracted from God’s green earth to improve the lives and livelihoods of all Guyanese.
